Buggy-boot



(No Model.)

T. E. STEVENS.

BUGGY BOOT.

No. 366,270. Patented m 12, 1887.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY S N. PETERS. Phnlo-Lllhognphar. Wuhiflgtun. DJL

UNITE STATES PATENT rricn,

' THEODORE E. STEVENS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

BUGGY-BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,270, dated July 12, 1887,

Ap;:1icatio11 filed November .26, 1886. Serial No. 210,897. (No model.?

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE E. STEVENS, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in BuggyBoots, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is' a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to what are termed boots for buggies and like vehicles, and the object is to provide a strong, compact, and durable device for this purpose which may be readily attached to the vehicle and as readily detached, and securely held in place on the vehicle in such manner as to prevent rattling; and to this end the invention consists in providing a metallic frame upon which the covering constituting the boot is placed, with a central brace connecting the opposite end pieces of the frame, and detachably pivoting the covered frame to the vehicle, in providing a spring-catch for securing the free end of the frame securely to the end-board of the vehicle, and in providing a cushioning device secured to the vehicle in contact with the frame of the boot, all as hereinafter more particular] y described, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the VICWS. 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehiclebody with my improved boot attached in place, the boot being partly broken away to show the construction of the frame and the manner of pivoting the same to the vehicle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached detail of the spring-catch secured to the boot and the end bar of the vehicle-body, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view of the cushioning device.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a vehicle-body of the usual construction, of which Bis the seatsupport, and D the endboard. i

O is my improved boot, and consists of leather or any suitable water-proof material which is ordinarily used for devices of this character. The boot G is covered over or ap plied to a metallic frame, a, Fig. 1,which may be rectangular in form, or of any desired form to conform with and correspond to the style of vehicle to which it is desired to apply the boot. The frame a is composed of metallic bars a a a b. and a central brace, b, extending from the pivotal bar Z) to the opposite end bar a.

It will be observed that owing to the brac ing-loar 1) connecting the end bars, a and b, a very strong and rigid frame is produced, not withstanding the use of light, round, or oval merchant-iron or heavy wire, which may also be successfully used for the purpose. The great advantage in making the frame light in this way accrues from the fact that the boot presents a much neater and more finished appearance Where a light and tasty fralneis used, and is much more convenient to handle than a heavy, clumsy device for this purpose, since it is desirable to make the boot so that the same may be readily detached from the vehicle.

The end bar I) of the frame a is preferably made of round metal, and projects beyond the side bar, a, so as to form a pivot or bearing by means of which and the spring journalplates 0 0, I dctachably pivot the boot O to the vehicle A.

It will be observed thatin vehicles of the de sign illustrated in Fig. 1 the spring journalplates 0 c are secured to the seatsupport B, and the plate 0 being sprung out the pivots on the ends of the end bar I) are inserted in the j ournal-plates c, which spring in and thereby detachabl y connect the boot to the vehicle.

In order to secure the boot down in place to the end-board of the vehicle, I provide a spring-catch, f, composed of the parts 0, Fig. 2, secured to the boot-frame or the end bar a thereof, having a finger-piece, (I, connected with the catch f, and a catch-plate, e, secured to the-end-board D.

The finger-piece d has aspiral, s, Fig. 2, to retract it when released, and to force the catch f into engagement with the lock 6. The springcatch f is pivoted at f to an extension, 0 of the support 6, and the construction of the parts will be readily understood by reference on the finger-piece d, which contracts the spirals and allows the catch f to spring out of engagement with the shoulder or lock 6, when the boot (1 may befreely lifted upon its pivots, as already described.

In devices of this class, where the boot rests against the top of the vehicle-body, thercis a great tendency for the boot to rattle when the vehicle is moving over the road or pavement, and for this reason the devices heretofore employed have been objectionable, and it is desirable to connect the boot to the vehicle, so as to overcome this tendency, and to accomplish this desirable result I provide a cushioning device, 5 (Illustrated in the detached view, Fig. 3.)

h is a metal frame secured to the inner side of the end-board, and the cushioning device 9, consisting of a block of rubber, is inserted in the clamp or securing device h,so as to project slightly above the top of the end-board.

I preferably employ two cushioning devices on the end-board, as shown in Fig. 1; but they may also be applied to the side-boards of the vehicle, as desired. When the boot is closed, the end bar a bears on the rubber cushion g, and is securely held in contact with it by the springcatchf, and this device effectually prevents the rattling of the boot against the vehicle-body, which has heretofore proved so annoying.

It will be understood that the frame of the boot is made of sufficient dimensions to fit snugly on top of the vehicle-body, the outer edges of the frame projecting slightly over in order to protect the interior of the vehicle from inclement Weather.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description and upon reference to the drawings. The springjournal-bearings c 0, being secured in place andthe boot 0 provided with a springeatch, f, may be readily attached to the vehicle by simply springing apart thespring journal-bearing c, and the eushionsg and catchlock 6 serve to secure the free end of the boot securely to the vehicle. lVhen it is desired to raise the boot-,it is simply necessary to pull out on the finger-piece d, to release the springcatch f, when the boot may be readily lifted, and it may be as readily removed from the vehicle, as heretofore explained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with a vehicle, of aboot pivoted detachably thereto by means of the end bar I) and the spring-plates c c, substantially as specified.

2. The combination,with a vehicle, of aboot movably connected therewith, a spring-catch for locking the boot, and a cushion device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a vehicle, of the detaehably-pivoted boot-frame a and spring eatchf, having finger-piece d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 23d day of November, 1886.

THEODORE E. STEVENS.

\Vitnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, E. C. CANNON.- 

